SABATO 5 DICEMBRE 2015 Italians: Domani Slowpoke a Tolosa. Altra doppietta di Borrelli (12) in Corea del Sud, Congiu a segno in Francia.
In Inghilterra abbiamo dato conto qualche giorno fa di un paio di Blueberry ora stanziali da Marco Botti a Newmarket, ne diamo conto. Il 25 Novembre a Kempton ha debuttato con un quarto posto Spicy Jam (Holy Roman Emperor), in una Classe 2 sui 1200 metri in sintetico, in una corsa vinta daLancelot Du Lac (Shamardal), un 5 anni allevato da Fausto Martellozzo.
Oriente: Doppietta per Demuro in Giappone (106); Domani c’è la Champions Cup da Chukyo. Domenica 13 show ad Hong Kong
Jamie Moore drives Sire De Grugy (left) to the line in the Tingle Creek
PICTURE: Getty Images
Sire De Grugy survives stewards’ to land Tingle
Report: Sandown, Saturday
Betfair Tingle Creek (Grade 1) 1m7½f, 4yo+
THE hottest properties in the two-mile chase division may have been dropping out like flies in the week leading up to the race, but all was forgotten when old favourite Sire De Grugy burst back onto the Grade 1 scene with a gritty win in the £150,000 chase.
A stewards’ inquiry was called following a last fence clash with runner-up Special Tiara, but following a 10-minute wait Sire De Grugy was confirmed the winner.
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A crowd favourite, Sire De Grugy was roared on by racegoers as he landed a fifth Grade 1 victory and regain his Tingle Creek crown – with Gary Moore recording a remarkable 240,239-1 six-timer as six of his runners won at Sandown over two days.
Sire De Grugy’s return to form thrilled Moore, who said: “In my mind, this is the best day. Everyone makes Cheltenham the be all and end all, but to me this is as good as winning at Cheltenham and to bring him back just makes it that bit more special.”
William Hill slashed Moore’s stable star to 10-1 (from 33) for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase in March, while Paddy Power cut him to 12-1 (from 25) and Sky Bet are now offering 14-1 (from 25).
Any religious ‘Sire’ follower would have been on the edge of their seat as the nine-year-old chestnut, with that familiar glowing white blaze, crashed into Special Tiara at the last before entering a ding-dong battle up the gruelling hill.
In detail: last fence clash
Sire De Grugy was leading at the final fence but jumped sharply left, clashing with Special Tiara in mid-air and hampering that rival’s momentum.
Sire De Grugy (left) jumps into Special Tiara at the final fence…
PICTURE: Getty Images
…hampering the runner-up and almost unseating Jamie Moore…
PICTURE: Getty Images
…before the two rivals settle down for the dash to the line.
PICTURE: Getty Images
Unlikely return
The prospect of seeing Sire De Grugy return to the winners’ enclosure with a Grade 1 success seemed extremely distant after his underwhelming reappearance in the Haldon Gold Cup last month, when he finished last, and even last season he failed to trouble the main players in both the Queen Mother and Betfred Melling Chase.
In fact, the Preston Family & Friends-owned gelding had until now not been able to recapture the sparkling form of the 2013-14 season, when he capitalised on Sprinter Sacre’s absence to win four Grade 1 prizes – all in authoritative style.
However, Jamie Moore kept the faith in the family favourite and remained confident he would return to his glory days.
The winning rider said: “Dad gets horses rated 90 back so I knew he could do it. He’s not in a routine anymore, I wake up and I think what shall we do with him today.
“As long as I keep him fit then I can do something completely different to what he’s used to doing. We’ve just sweetened his mind up, he’s a very genuine horse – he just needed a sharpener.”
How it panned out
The pair set a fair pace in the early exchanges before quickening up markedly after two fences down the back straight – with Sire De Grugy meeting every fence with metronomic precision.
Sire De Grugy’s jumping ability helped him glide to a near two-length lead following the Pond fence, and although he had beaten off many of his rivals, both Special Tiara and Vibrato Valtat remained in close proximity in the closing stages.
As the Paul Nicholls-trained favourite backpedalled, Special Tiara renewed his effort, and the final fence collision between the pair brought gasps from many onlookers.
Jamie Moore’s mount jumped across the Irish raider, with the pair clashing in mid-air, and despite Special Tiara gaining ground on the winner near the line, the three-quarters of a length winning distance was deemed enough for Sire De Grugy to keep the race.
The winning rider did receive a whip ban, however, having used more than the permitted number of strikes, and was suspended for two days.
‘Back to his very best’
Owner Steve Preston said: “He was back to his very best and our faith in him has paid off.
“Gary’s brilliant. So’s Jamie. They’ve tried every single thing they can to get him back. I thought he had a chance today if he put his best foot forward and he truly delivered.”
California Chrome Continues Los Al Progress
Horse of the Year California Chrome is “preparing himself really well” for a comeback, according to trainer Art Sherman.
The 4-year-old Lucky Pulpit colt, who won the 2014 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and took the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) to earn Horse of the Year honors, has not raced since finishing second in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) in March. On Dec. 5 he continued his preparations for the Jan. 9 San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park with a solid breeze at Los Alamitos, his fifth workout there and fourth recorded breeze since returning to Sherman’s barn after a layup at Taylor Made Farm to recover from bone bruising.
Breaking off from the half-mile pole under regular rider Dihigi Gladney, the striking chestnut powered through splits of :25 and :47 4/5 before hitting five furlongs in 1:01 flat.
“Today was really great,” Sherman said. “I got him in the last eighth of a mile from the eighth pole to the wire in :11 flat … of course we went out the five-eighths, which was 1:01. He might have beat it, I got like a minute and four fifths, but the official time was 1:01. I see him galloping out strong. He’s preparing himself really well and everything’s going smooth, I couldn’t be more happy with the workout.”
California Chrome’s run in the 1 1/16-mile San Pasqual will be his first for a new partnership; Taylor Made bought out co-owner Steve Coburn’s share in July and the colt is now owned by the Kentucky-based operation and co-breeder Perry Martin. Sherman has also said jockey Victor Espinoza will be in the irons for a work or two closer to the race.
“We’ll start cranking down a little more on him. The times will be a little faster and (the distance) a little farther,” Sherman said. “We’re hoping that with good weather and the way we’re going right now, it shouldn’t be a problem to have him ready for the San Pasqual if I don’t miss any time.”
California Chrome’s connections hope to send their talented runner back to Dubai in March for a second run at the World Cup, should his return to racing go as planned.
fonte : Bloodhorse.com
